Broiler drawer door



Ill f5 avvy C( Laz. fujelze5lolljyrosz v`L. C. LOTZ ETAL 'BROILER DRAWERDOOR Filed July 7. 1961 July 9, 1963 United States Patent Office3,097,029 Patented July 9, 1963 3,097,029 BROILER DRAWER DOOR Larry C.Lotz and Eugene Stoligrosz, Hamilton, Ohio, assignors to WhirlpoolCorporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 7, 1961, Ser. No.122,576 Claims. (Cl. S12- 303) This invention relates to an apparatusincluding a comI partment defining means having a forwardly extendingaccess opening, a movable door and latch means for re- -taining the doorin open or closed position. The invention particularly relates to amovable broiler drawer in a household cooking range or the likeincluding a door for this drawer and latch means for retaining the dooreither in closed or in open position.

In the ordinary kitchen range, whether heated with gas or electricity,there is ordinarily provided a broiler section including a drawer thatcan be pulled forwardly to extend from the range or can be pushedrearwardly into normal broiling position. This drawer customarilycarries on its forward end a door which is movable from an upwardlyextending, normally closed position to a forward extending, bottom openposition, Latch means are provided for retaining the door in these twopositions.

One of the features of this invention is to provide an improved latchmeans for the movable door normally closing the forward ex-tendingaccess opening across a compartment.

A specific feature of the invention is to provide latch means for thedoor of a forwardly and rearwardly movable broiler drawer of a householdrange.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description of one embodiment thereof taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings. Of the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view partially in section ofthe forward end of a broiler drawer and a movable door therefor incombination with one embodiment of the latch means of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is a view similar to FIGURE 1 but with the drawer in forwardlyextending position and with the door in lowered open position.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary section taken substantially along line 3 3 ofFIGURE l and turned 90.

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of the wire latch and associatedstructure taken substantially yalong line 4--4 of FIGURE l.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawings only a portion yof therange is illustrated. This range includes a broiler drawer 11 of thecustomary type having a pair of sides 12 of which only one isillustrated. Each of these sides on its forward edge is provided with acatch member 13 extending forwardly beyond the edge of the drawer side12 and attached thereto as by spot welding.

The forwardly projecting portion of the catch member 13 is provided witha top catch receiving passage 14 and a bottom catch receiving passage15.

The bottom catch receiving passage 15 is provided with a downwardly andrearwardly sloped top portion 16, then a substantially verticaldownwardly sloped section 17 and at the bottom of this a forwardly anddownwardly sloped section 18. At the bottom of this section 18 there isprovided a vertically downwardly extending catch section 19 whileimmediately above this section 19 is a stop portion 20 that is upwardlyconcave. As can be seen from FIGURES 1 and 2, the passage sections 16-20define a serpentine path.

The top passage 14 includes an inwardly recessed section 21 with arelatively wide mouth 22 opening forwardly at the bottom of this section21. There is a downwardly extending catch section 23 similar to thecatch section 19 in the bottom passage 15. The top passage 14 isshallower in a vertical direction than is the bottom passage 15.

A door 24 is provided that is movable between closed position as shownin FIGURE l and open position as shown in FIGURE 2. This door is mountedon the opposite sides of the drawer 11 by means of a wire catch member25 having upper 26 and lower 27 ends flattened and attached to the innersurface 28 of the door 24 as by spot welding. The catch member is bentto provide top 29 and bottom 30 catch means. These catch means areformed by bent portions in the wire which include a normally verticalsection 31 and normally upper 32 and lower 33' legs extending rearwardlyfrom the door 24 when the door is in closed position as shown in FIG-URE 1. The catch means 29` and 30 are at the areas of intersection ofthe vertical section 3-1 and upper and lower normally horizontalsections 32 and 33 of the catch member.

When the door is in its closed position, as shown in FIGURE l, the topcatch means 29 is heldl in the catch section 23 of the upper passage 14while the bottom catch means 30 is similarly held in the bottom catchsection of the bottom passage 15. Because the catch sections 19 and 23closely embrace the catch means 29 and 3l) formed of portions of thewire 25, the drawer can be propelled forwardly and rearwardly by forceapplied to the door 24. Then when the door is opened it is merelynecessary to lift the door 24 until the topl catch means 29 is liftedcompletely out of the catch section 23 and the door can then be turnedto open position as `shown in FIGURE 2 about the bottom catch means 30acting as a hinge. In lifting the door the stop section 20 in the bottompassage 15 serves to prevent accidental removal of the door from thedrawer. The distance between this stop section 20 and the catch section19 is greater than the distance required to lift the top catch means 29out of the catch vsection 23 of the passage 14.

Having described our invention as related to the embodiment shown in theaccompanying drawings, it is our intention that the invention be notlimited by any of the details of description, unless otherwisespeciiied, but rather be construed broadly within its spirit and scopeas set out in the accompanying claims.

We claim:

l. In a structure including means defining a compartment having aforwardly extending access -opening and `a movable door for saidopening, a latch. comprising: mean-s associated with said compartmentmeans dening top and bottom catch receiving passages each having a catchretaining bottom .and an open catch removing and inserting top; and topand bottom catch means on said door each retained on said catchretaining bottoms when the door is in closed position, `said top passagebeing shallower than said bottom passage in order that said top catchmeans maybe removed from said top passage without removal of the bottomcatch means from the bottom passage in moving the door to open positionabout said bottom catch means `as a hinge.

2. In a structure including means dening a compartment having aforwardly extending laccess opening and. a movable ydoor for saidopening, a latch comprising: means delining top and bottom catchreceiving passages each having a catch retaining bottom and an opencatch removing and inserting top; and top and bottom catch means on saiddoor each retained on -said catch retaining bottoms when the door is inclosed position, said top passage being lshallower than said bottompassage in order that said top catch means may be removed from said toppassage without removal of the bottom catch means from the bottompassage in moving the door to open position about saidbottom catch meansas a hinge, and said bottom passage `deiining a serpentine pathincluding a stop portion and-a bottom portion, said stop pontion beingspaced above said lbottom portion a distance greater-than the depth ofsaid top passage to preverit accidental r'emoval'of'thebottom catchmeans from the bottomrpassage on removaliof `the top catch means fromthetop passage.

3. VIn -a structure'including means defining a compartment' having aforwardly extending access opening anda movable door 'for said opening,a latch comprising: means associated with said compartment means `deningtop and Ibottom catch receiving .passages each having a catch retainingbottom and an open catch removing and inserting top; -and a continuouswire having its ends attached to said doot` and bent to `form top andbottom catch means each retained on said catch retainingbottoms when thedoor is in closedposition.

4.7In `a structureincluding means defining a compartmentrhaving aforwardly extending access opening and a movable door for said opening,a latch comprising: means associated with said compartment means deningtop and bottom catch receiving -passageseach having a catch retainingbottom and an open catch removing and inserting top; :and .a continuouswire having its ends-attached to said door and bent Ito `form top -andbottom catch means each retained on `said bottoms whenthe door is inclosed position, said rtop passage being shallower than said `bot tompassage ingorder that said top catch means may be removed from said top`passage without removal of the bottom catch means from the bottompassage in moving the door to open position about said bottom catchmeans as a'hinge, -and said :bottom passage defining a serpentine pathincluding a stop portion and .a bottom portion, said stop portion beingspaced above said bottom portion a distance greater than the depth otsaid top passage to prevent accidental removal of the bottom catch meansfrom the bottom passage on removal of the top catch means yfrom the toppassage,

5. In a structure including a'forwardly and rearwardly movable `broilerdrawer, a side member on said drawer defining one side of an accessopening and a movable door for said opening, a latch comprising: meansassociated with said side member dening top and `bot-tom catch receivingpassages each having -a catch retaining bottom and 1an open catchremoving and inserting top; and a continuous wire having its endsattached to said door and bent to form top 'and bottom catch means eachretained on said bottoms when the door is in `closed position, said toppassage being sha-llower than said bottom'passage in order that said topcatch means may be removed from said top passage without removal of thebottom catch means from the bottom passage in moving the `door to openposition `about said bottom caftch means as -a binge and said bottompassage defining -a serpentine path including a stop portion land -abottom portion, said stop portion being spaced above said bottom portiona distance greater than the depth of -said atop passage to preventaccidental removal of 'the bottom catch means from the bottom passage onVremoval of the top catch means from the top passage, both said passageshaving forward and rearward rwire embracing portions to transmit forwardand rearward motion of said door to said drawer.

References Cited in the file of this patent `UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. IN A STRUCTURE INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING A COMPARTMENT HAVING AFOWARDLY EXTENDING ACCESS OPENING AND A MOVABLE DOOR FOR SAID OPENING, ALATCH COMPRISING MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID COMPARTMENT MEANS DEFININGTOP AND BOTTOM CATCH RECEIVING PASSAGES EACH HAVING A CATCH RETAININGBOTTOM AND AN OPEN CATCH REMOVING AND INSERTING TOP; AND TOP AND BOTTOMCATCH MEANS ON SAID DOOR EACH RETAINED ON SAID CATCH RETAINING BOTTOMSWHEN THE DOOR IS IN CLOSED POSITION, SAID TOP PASSAGE BEING SHAL-